Origins
by G.O.T. Nick
Summary: Five teenagers with extraordinary abilities now defend Jump City. You know of their adventures together, but most of their pasts are shrouded in mystery. Now, those pasts are revealed. Chapter Two posted.
1. And So it Begins

**Teen Titans: Origins**

**Chapter One: And So It Begins**

Six months before today... 

Robin heard a small crack as his heel connected with the man's jaw and saw a few drops of blood burst from his mouth. The man smashed into the brick was just behind him, and another crack, louder than the first resounded from the impact. Even before Robin had landed, he was swinging his right fist. Almost before he had planted his feet on the ground, his strike landed on the stomach first man's associate, causing him to double over. Robin brought his left knee up to the man's chin, staining his green pant leg with crimson blood.

As the man fell, Robin looked over his shoulder to see his mentor, Batman, beating Two-face into submission. But Batman was not aware of the schizophrenic's third henchman approaching from behind, a pipe held over his head. Robin immediately snatched a batterang from his utility belt and let fly. His aim was true. The missile struck the back of the henchman's skull, causing him to yell out in pain before collapsing unconscious.

Batman whirled around, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Robin lowered the arm that had cast the batterang. Batman stood up straight with a small smile, which Robin returned. Then the smile on Batman's face faded into a look of though, which confused his young sidekick. But the familiar sound of blaring sirens jarred him from the thought. It was time to go home. 

-...Somewhere else...-

Eight years before today...

The tall, bony man walked cautiously through the flaming ruins about him. His long nose protruded a bit from the shade of his hood. He clutched his purple robes close to his body to keep them from being singed, as did the boy, who was about nine, beside him. Several steps later, he found what he has been searching for: a young girl, perhaps eight years old, lay on the ground unconscious several feet away. He and the boy stepped hurriedly but cautiously around the burned rubble littering the area towards the girl. She had strangely violet hair and stood perhaps four feet tall. One could say the girl was phenomenally lucky to have not been crushed under the collapsed roof. The man and boy knew better.

As the two knelt next to the girl, the boy spoke worriedly, "Is she...?"

Instead of feeling for a pulse or a breath, the man instead pressed two fingers to the girl's forehead. As he took them away, he spoke, "She is alive and well."

The boy smiled, then looked about the ruins of the building, "What about her family?"

The man sighed and said regretfully, "They are no longer among the living."

The boy lowered his head sadly, then questioned, "You've done this a lot before, Crow, does it always happen like this?"

Crow sighed again, "I'm afraid so, Dove. Always flame and destruction, the house collapsing before anyone notices. And the child always left alive and alone. But come, we must leave." The boy nodded and huddled closer to Crow and the girl. A black shadow emerged from the ground and swept upward, off the soil from which it came.

As the shadow began to envelope the three, Dove looked up at Crow and asked, "What's her name?"

Crow closed his eyes as the flickering light from the flames ceased their dancing across his face. Just before the shadow had completely immersed him, his lips moved, forming a single word, "Raven." And with that, the shadow had covered them and shifted shape into a large black bird, which soared off into the black night.

-... New York Memorial Hospital...-

One month before today... "Doctor, there's GOT to be something you can do!" 

Doctor Curt Connors sighed with regret as he placed his elbows on his desk and his forehead on his hands. He knew the man before him was not speaking out of anger or fear, but from despair. The man opposite his desk was Martin Stone, a successful scientist not foolish enough to have realized that there had been no hope from the start. His wife Keisha was sobbing silently beside him, the handkerchief in her hands soggy with her tears. Tears were streaming down Martin's face as well.

No one could possibly blame the couple for their weeping. For they had just been told that their son was as good as dead. "I'm terribly sorry, Martin," stated Dr. Connors quietly, "half his brain is nearly dead, the muscles at his neck and below have nearly all been burned away and he's lucky to have a quarter of his skeleton intact. It's a miracle he wasn't killed instantly and an act of God that he's still alive now. There's no way to save your son."

Keisha moaned out her son's name between sobs, "Victor...-sniff-."

Martin sighed, his adrenalin faded. He slumped down into his chair clutched his head in his hands.

Dr. Connors sat up in his seat and put a hand over his eyes as he silently mourned yet another lost life. He opened his eyes and glimpsed the top-right corner of a series of papers sticking out from a rather large stack of forms. The top half of a lower-case "t" could be seen, followed by the letters "ion C". He clinched his eyes shut and thought. 'The boy is nearly dead already. There is no time to be reluctant in risking a human life now that that life is already otherwise beyond saving.' He opened his eyes and stood up, saying, "There is one more option..."

"Anything!" Martin's head snapped up at the words. He sat upright in his chair and continued, "If there's anyway he can live, anyway at all, we'll pay for it! At any price! Just let our son live..."

"An experimental procedure will be performed upon your son," began Connors calmly, "his ruined muscles, bones, and even brain matter will be replaced by cybernetic implants. He will no longer be fully human, but he will retain the memories and emotions he once possessed."

"Do it," murmured Keisha as she dabbed away her last tears, "just do it."

-...Tamaran...-

Three weeks before today...

"But I do not wish to leave!" the orange-skinned alien girl protested loudly as she struggled frenziedly to free herself.

Galforr sighed heavily as he continued to hold her to the ground. Starfire, fifteen-year old native of Tamaran, second in line to the planet's throne, was going through a temper tantrum. Her eyes were beginning to glow a bright emerald shade, and it was only Galforr's own Tamaranian strength that he was holding Starfire to the ground. Starfire could easily burst free from his grip with a burst of energy, but that was not in her nature. As far back as Galforr could remember, Starfire had been as kind and gentle as any Tamaranian could be.

Minutes passed, and eventually Starfire ceased her struggles and began panting. Galforr sighed again, this time with relief, as he released Starfire from his iron grip. Still, the girl was upset, "But why must I leave?"

"You know very well why," Galforr said exasperatedly, "tomorrow is your sixteenth birthday, and as is required by law you must leave Tamaran for no less than one year."

"But I do not wish to leave Tamaran!" tears were beginning to form in Starfire's eyes now, "All my life I have lived here, with you and all the rest of my planet's inhabitants. I have never even flown beyond Tamaran's atmosphere!"

Galforr's eyes softened. Starfire had been his responsibility almost since her birth, as her parents had regretfully died soon after her mother had born her. The planet had been at war at the time, and both the leaders of the planet had been killed in action. Tamaran had been leaderless since.

"Leaving here will not be bad," assured Galforr as he sat beside Starfire, "why, your older sister has enjoyed her travels so much that she still is roaming freely about the universe."

"But I am not Blackfire," moaned Starfire as moisture began to overflow from her eyes, "There are so many people in the world, so many whose cultures I am unfamiliar with, so many who would sooner destroy me than invite me to their Gnorfka Festival..."

Galforr nodded in agreement, but then picked up for Starfire, "Yet you must also consider just how many planets, just how many systems exist throughout the cosmos! Surely there will be more than one planet out there that will be more than welcoming to you."

Starfire seemed unconvinced, so Galforr leaned in close to her and whispered her full name, "Koriand'r, know this at the least: no matter how the inhabitants of far-away planets think of you, you will always have friends here who love you as much as I do. A year may seem long to one as young as yourself, but when the time comes that you return, it will have simply seemed to have been the length of a Plandajj ritual."

Starfire smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes before wrapping her long-time friend in a hug that would have grievously injured a person from Earth. Galforr returned the mighty embrace, and Starfire spoke, "I will pack my things."

-...Several miles east of Jump City...-

One month before today... 

"Mr. Wilson?" the corporal nervously spoke as he rapped softly on the door.

"Enter," spoke a smooth, dark voice from within the room.

Corporal Jackson took a quick breath to calm his shaking body as he turned the knob and pushed the door open. He closed the door behind him and stood at attention, sweating profusely. Wilson spoke, "Well?"

Jackson gulped and hurriedly spat out his report, "Mr. Wilson, reports are in that a subject has been found for Operation C. He is expected to be brought in within the next twenty-four hours."

The response came slowly, "Good. What about Operation F?"

Jackson stopped himself from emitting a sound of relief as he realized he would make it out of this meeting alive. "A subject has been found and reports regarding his acquisition should arrive within the hour."

A hint of satisfaction glazed Wilson's voice, "Excellent." Time passed as Jackson awaited Wilson's permission to leave. It would not be wise to act without Wilson's consent. Eventually, Wilson spoke again, "Tell me, Corporal, to you fear me."

Jackson tried not to panic as he answered, "I'm terrified, Mr. Wilson." He had learned from experience over the past few months to do two things in Wilson's presence: never refer to him as "sir", as it annoyed him, and always be honest, as lying didn't work well. Many had committed such mistakes.

"Good," said Wilson, "the past three weeks I had messengers who were stupid enough to say they weren't. Do you know what happened to them?"

Jackson knew the medical reports, but not the details, so he responded, "Not precisely, Mr. Wilson."

"I asked the three of them to prove it by attacking me. The first balked and was simply reprimanded for lying to a superior. The second nervously went to his sidearm and aimed it at my head, so I broke his wrist in self-defense and he was charged with threatening a superior. The final one was determined enough to get a shot off before I shattered his rib cage and had him arrested for attempted murder. While I dislike my dealings with any of the armed forces I have found there are three virtues I admire in this place's security force: honesty, loyalty, and intelligence. That is why you are going to be the first messenger I will allow to leave this room unscathed. I can only hope not everyone left here is as smart as you. You may leave."

Jackson turned about and left promptly. As soon as he was fifty feet from the door, he began running.

-...The Bat Cave, under Wayne Manor...-

2 hours after Batman and Robin defeated Two-Face...

Bruce hadn't bothered to take off his Batman costume since they had arrived. That didn't bother him, though, as Bruce tended to do that a lot. It was the quick glances in his direction whenever he walked by that intrigued Tim. Three years ago, Batman had adopted Tim, and Tim had replaced Dick Grayson as Robin. Since then he had vastly improved under Batman's guidance. His body was now a trained weapon, made more dangerous with the armada supplied by his utility belt. His mind had also improved as well, trained by the greatest detective alive. Still, he could not figure out what his mentor and guardian was up to, and it was best not to bother him about it. All would be revealed in time.

-...A place called Azarath...-

Minutes after Crow and Dove rescued Raven... 

Hawk stepped into the building's main hall and looked around him. The building Azarath has stood about him for centuries, yet Hawk could still not help but think of it as a rotting pile of wood. The walls would forever be preserved, but he had always felt it lacked any comfort whatsoever. Just over a year ago, he had stood in this very room waiting for Crow to arrive with the young Dove. Before that time Hawk and Crow had been alone in this building, which had lead to Hawk's silent nature. Now he stood here waiting for Crow and Dove to arrive with the fourth member of their group, which Crow fondly called a family.

Hawk had always loathed that about Crow. He was able to express his emotions so broadly, even more so than the enthusiastic Dove. Hawk had never been able to do so.

Hawk was jarred from his thought by the arrival of a great black bird. Hawk walked over to it, his black cape flowing about his black bodysuit. He watched as Crow, Dove, and the girl emerged from the bird. Dove immediately rushed over to Hawk and hugged his waist happily. Hawk was thirteen and could not recall ever having any siblings, but Dove was an eternally happy boy whose powers never seemed to resurface regardless, and there was no way to resist the boy's compassion.

Crow carried the girl over to a sofa and laid her there, then beckoned Hawk over to him. "Dove, leave Hawk be for now. We need him to help Raven. I fear she may be currently possessed of a power far greater than ours."

Hawk assumed that Raven was the girl's name and walked over to her. He laid his hands upon her temples wordlessly and closed his eyes. When they opened, his pupils and uniquely yellow irises were gone, replaced by a simple white glow...and Hawk saw into the girl's tormented mind.

-...In the depths of Raven's mind...-

Hawk looked about and saw an infinite dark red void. This was much different than Dove's mind, which had been a somewhat pleasant blue. Without much more time to think, an enormous, red-furred humanoid reared out of the void and stomped in front of Hawk. He recognized the white hair and four, slitted eyes immediately from illustrations in the various books in Azarath's library. "Trigon? I'm surprised someone with your reputation would have a kid."

Trigon didn't look amused as he stared down Hawk, who looked calmly back. Then Trigon spoke in a voice that came from everywhere at once, "**Who are you?**"

Hawk didn't flinch, knowing the reverberation was simply from Trigon's control over Raven's mind. "My name is Hawk, and I'm the last person from outside of here that you'll ever get to see."

Trigon laughed long, loud, and hard. When he eventually stopped, he asked another question, "**And how do you intend to make that happen, little one?**"

"Long story," said Hawk, "but let's start from the beginning. You may think you're unique, taking on a human guise and siring a child. Well, lots of demons have done it before. And there are things each of these children have in common. They appear human, with minor physical differences, but possess demonic powers. For another thing, demons like you all decide to name them after birds, I have no idea why. Finally, when the child turns eight, the demon is forever fused with the child, trapping them within the child's mind and giving them control over the child. This transforms the child from a normal human being into a half-breed. The demon is trapped forever in the child's mind but is also given eternal control over them."

Trigon took it all in before responding, "**So why do you think you can keep me from crushing you like a bug?**"

"I was about to get to that," Hawk said in a somewhat bored tone, "the one way to free a child from the demon's control, other than consent, is for a stronger half-breed to wrest them free."

Trigon snickered, "**So you think your father was stronger than me? I highly doubt that. Who exactly was your father?**"

Hawk half-smiled as he told Trigon.

Trigon's face was the picture of shock, "**Impossible! He was much too powerful! It cannot be!**"

"Oh, but it is," said Hawk, "my father was getting old, so he decided to sit back for eighty years or so while he gets to watch me go about my life. It's so much easier to get something done when you can just have your kid do it."

Trigon, now very much afraid, struck out with an immense claw, intending to rend Hawk's body to shreds.

The claw fell into the abyss separate from the rest of Trigon's arm. The demon howled in agony as Hawk readied the black blade, focused by his mind, for another strike. "I suggest you submit now," spoke Hawk calmly, "it will save you quite a few body parts. Although I personally hope you wish to do this the hard way."

-...Azarath...-

Minutes later... 

Hawk opened his eyes and took his hands away from Raven's head. Almost as soon as he did so, Raven opened her eyes...and gazed up into the faces of Dove, Hawk, and Crow. "Welcome," said Crow, "to Azarath..."

-...New York Memorial Hospital...- 

Five minutes after Dr. Connors's meeting with the Stones...

His name is Victor Stone. Two weeks ago, aliens attacked the world and wreaked havoc upon the Earth. Before the newly formed Justice League defeated this alien race, Victor Stone, a successful high school athlete headed to an athletic scholarship, was grievously injured in the attack. He has no hope of completing high school. He will not receive a college scholarship. He has a chance of survival so low it is quite likely he will die before the plane his bed arrives at the plane he is being carried to. However, as soon as his body is securely within the jet, his name will no longer be Victor Stone. For the next month, he will simply be referred to as Experiment C.

-...The suburbs of Miami, Florida...-

Three minutes later... 

Precisely one minute ago, fifteen-year-old Garfield Logan was spending the afternoon as he usually did: a half-hearted attempt at homework, two hours of videogames, and a crammed one-hour session of joking around with his friends before dinner. However, just as the friends had been returning to their homes, something horrible happened. From seemingly nowhere, a group of assailants opened fire on the group. The boys are now unconscious, knocked out by tranquilizer darts piercing various parts of their bodies.

The boys will live to tell of this tale. All of them. All, that is, save Logan. Much of his memory will be wiped from existence, his parents and friends will never see him again, and he will no longer be a normal human teen. Logan has just been hunted down and captured like an animal. In the next several weeks, this will not be the only trait Logan shares in common with the wild.


	2. Beyond

A quick note: Victor Stone, Koriand'r, and Garfield Logan are the comic book names for Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy, respectively, according to wikipedia. The fact the BB and Wolverine share the same name is a bit peculiar to me although Marvel did influence my idea to explain the origin of Beast Boy's powers.

**Teen Titans: Origins**

**Chapter Two: Beyond**

-...The Bat Cave...-

September 12, 2004, two months before today... 

Bruce Wayne sat in front of a large computer, eyes closed in deep thought.

Bruce Wayne. Billionaire. Owner of Wayne Enterprises, one of the largest and most successful companies ever.

By night, he has many other titles. The Dark Knight. The Bat. The World's Greatest Detective. For over a decade, his famous (and, to some, infamous) reputation as a minister of swift (and, at times, brutal) punishment to criminals of all degrees has instilled fear in all he seeks out. Without the assistance of extraterrestrial powers, he has averted countless disasters.

For the past several months, however, he has pondered his toughest decision yet. Through his years as the Batman, he has had multiple sidekicks, most notably three who have taken the guise of Robin. The first was Dick Grayson, who had previously been part of a world-famous acrobatic trio that included himself and his parents. When Grayson's parents had died in a horrible accident, Bruce had taken Dick in as his ward. Dick had found out about Bruce's double identity soon afterwards and become his sidekick. Years later, Dick struck out on his own, becoming the crusader known as Nightwing.

Afterwards, a second Robin emerged, this one named Jason Todd. Jason was not acrobatic like Dick, but was brutal and headstrong. Jason had even once been accused of throwing a suspect off a building. Jason's headstrong nature had eventually gotten him killed after he was captured by Two-face and beaten to death.

The third was Tim Drake.

Which was where the decision came in. The news that a metropolis on the west coast was having extreme crime troubles had reached Wayne's ears. Feeling he had to help the city (called Jump City) with its crime troubles, but knowing he had to remain in Gotham where there were enough troubles, Bruce had contemplated allowing Drake to go it alone in the city. Tim had become an extremely skilled detective and martial artist, having gone on several cases alone.

Still, Bruce had his doubts. While Dick Grayson was doing an exceptional job on his own, he was also nearly a decade older than Tim. There was also the death of Jason to consider. One Robin had died partially at his hand, and Bruce didn't want Tim to be the second.

"Penny for your thoughts, sir?" came the voice of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's long-time butler and, in a way, guardian. He was bearing a trey with a mug of coffee on top of it. A pot filled with more of the caffeinated drink sat beside the mug.

"It's about Tim," said Bruce as he accepted the mug and took a sip, "he's become vastly experienced over the years and I'm thinking of giving him a long-term solo job. But, at the same time, I'm not sure he's ready."

"Might I remind you, sir," said Alfred as he set the trey down, "that while I had my doubts of your wisdom when you began your Batman endeavor, I supported you fully, and you are still here today, having succeeded admirably. I believe young master Tim possesses the skills necessary to do so as well."

"That may be true," considered Bruce, "but he's only sixteen. I was in my twenties when I became Batman, and I had spent my whole life preparing for it. Dick was at the legal drinking age when he left, and he'd been a great athlete before he became Robin. Tim can barely drive, and he only has three years of experience. I already lost one partner, I don't want to lose another."

Alfred took a moment to consider this, but then spoke up, "Well, it is in my opinion, Master Bruce, that the fact that you are even considering sending Master Tim to Jump City is enough evidence to show that you believe he is ready. However, I will leave the final decision up to you." With that, Alfred set the coffee pot down and took the empty trey away.

-...Azarath...-

January 24, 1997, two months after Raven arrived at Azarath... 

Crow stepped around the levitating table, which glowed with an aura of dark energy. On the other side of the table stood Raven, whose brow was sweating with the effort of holding the object in the air with her mind. "Using the spell of telepathy must be strenuous due to your lack of experience," said Crow as he stepped towards Raven, "but do not worry, soon enough this will take hardly any concentration for you. As you use your powers more and more, you will gain more control over them. Just think, a month ago you could hardly lift books into the air, but now you are lifting a much heavier object. And the precision of your abilities will soon match their magnitude as well. Just remember to never allow your emotions to get the better of you, and you shall be fine."

As Crow continued to speak, Raven began to become fatigued under the strain of the table. Try as she might, she could not prevent the table from slowly, then more rapidly, beginning to tip towards her-directly over Crow's head. Fearing that Crow would soon be crushed by her own doing, Raven panicked. "Look out!" her control suddenly snapped, and the table began to plummet to the floor. Without thinking, Raven thrust out her arms as if to push the table away from crow...and sent it flying through the air with a burst of black energy from her palms. The table tumbled end over end before Dove, who had been sitting nearby, caught it with his own telepathic ability.

Raven sighed and sat down as Dove set the table on the floor. Crow gave a smile of comfort, "It's alright, Raven, you will learn to control your emotions while using your powers soon as well. In the meantime, I believe you have practiced enough today. We will begin again tomorrow. In the meantime, get some rest."

Raven frowned slightly, and Dove walked over to her. The two had become close friends since Raven's arrival, and Dove always seemed to make Raven happy. This was in part due to his ability to actually manipulate a person's emotions and actually force them to be happy. "Cheer up, Rae, practice makes perfect."

Raven smiled slightly, "Thanks, Dove."

Dove smiled back and mused, "You know, don't tell anyone, but I don't think Crow's even a very good teacher."

"Huh?" Raven's face was a picture of confusion, "But he's the oldest person here, he should have the most experience of any of us."

"That should be true," responded Dove, "but he doesn't even understand his own powers fully. Hawk's father deliberately submitted his powers to Hawk, which also gave him full understanding of his powers. He helped me control my powers whenever Crow couldn't. He's a great tutor."

"Maybe I should talk to him," said Raven, "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"He usually hangs around the library," said Dove, "he likes his privacy, so don't get him annoyed. But don't let him scare you either. He's a bit creepy, but he would never hurt either of us."

"Thanks for the advice," and that ended the conversation. Dove floated into the air and flew slowly out of the room, one of the things Raven wished she herself could do. Without a second thought, she made her way to the library.

-...Several miles east of Jump City...-

October 12, 2004... 

Wilson, for once in his life, was a happy man. As he watched the jet carrying the new subject for Operation C land on the runway of the hidden base, he spotted a second jet, this one carrying the subject for Experiment F from Florida.

Wilson stepped back from the window with the smallest traces of a smile playing across his lips. It had been a long time since he had felt this happy. At that time, he had been married. He and his wife had a son, and life was good for them. But Wilson had not been an innocent. He was, in fact, a highly skilled assassin, as efficient as he was ruthless. But, eventually, his career interfered with his family. Fatally.

In a freak accident, his son had died, partially through Wilson's fault. His wife believed their son had been murdered by Wilson, and reacted violently. The two had been arguing, and Wilson had made the mistake of turning his back to her. She instantly pulled a gun from her pocket and shot him in the back of his head. The shot should have killed Wilson, but a stroke of luck left him with no brain damage, though he had lost his right eye. He had been forced to kill his wife later on.

None of this was known by the group of scientists he had hired to perform a series of experiments that could potentially create an army of super-soldiers. Wilson had amassed a large sum of money in his career, enough that he had bought a hundred soldiers to guard the base where Wilson's scientists were performing these experiments. The fools thought they were on a top-secret military outpost. They referred to the experiments without even knowing what they were. They had no idea what Wilson's true intent was.

Wilson had developed two things in his career as an assassin: his enjoyment of the kill, and a lust for power. Soon, the world would tremble before him. Already, Operations A and B had become great successes. Soon Operations C and F would be as well. Subjects still needed to be found for D and E, but Wilson had no trouble waiting. His time as an assassin had taught him to be patient, to wait for the moment when an opportunity presented itself. Soon, soon the world would be his.

-...Tamaran...-

Twentieth day of the Month of Happiness in the year of the Flordajj Slug

Earth date October 25, 2004...

"Farewell, friend Galforr," said Starfire as she embraced her guardian, tears filling her eyes. "I will miss you."

"And I you, Koriand'r," replied Galforr as he tightly embraced her, "just remember, in a few months when Blorthogg Day comes, we may be light years apart. But we will still be family."

A rather large crowd had been drawn to the palace that had for sixteen years been Starfire's home. The crowd remained politely quiet, knowing how attached their princess was to her home world. When Blackfire had departed, there had been massive cheers (For multiple reasons. The first was to match Blackfire's mood, which could be summed up in one sentence she is rumored to have muttered under her breath: "Finally, I'm off this rock!" The second was because it was a long-celebrated day when the future heir to the throne came of age. The third was because the Tamaranians were really happy that Blackfire was leaving."), but now the people felt it appropriate to honor their respected princess's mood.

"I shall come back in no more than a year, Galforr," said Starfire. The two stepped away from each other, their final good-byes having been said. Then Starfire picked up the Arunda reptile-skinned bag that contained the few possessions she was taking on her journey. She had no need for a ship with her ability to fly and breathe in the vacuum.

"I look forward to that day, my child," responded Galforr, "farewell." And with that, Starfire allowed the feeling of flight to lift her into the air. As she left her planet, she heard hundreds, even thousands of voices bidding her farewell. Then, as the darkness of space stretched behind her and her world shrank into the distance, Starfire heard no more. But she remembered Galforr's words, and knew that she must make new friends. And so she set out, passing by planets whose atmospheres could not support her, hoping to find one where she could be happy again.

-...Wayne Manor...-

October 10, 2004, four weeks after Bruce's discussion with Alfred...

12:58. Not a single crime in four days. Four hours until he and Bruce patrolled Gotham. No homework or tests.

The benefits of a Sunday in autumn. Tim was ready to sit down and watch the Giants game, on in mere minutes, without the worry of having it interrupted. Yes, life was good over the next fifteen minutes, as Tim watched the Giants surprisingly dominate the legendary Brett Favre. He was just getting into the game when Bruce ruined it.

Tim sighed, "What do you want?"

"We have to talk."

"Is it urgent or can it wait three hours?"

"Trust me when I say this," Bruce responded, "I've put off this conversation for too long.

Later, in the Bat Cave, Bruce finalized one of the hardest choices in his life. "I've noticed that you've vastly improved over the years," he began, "and I think it's time you got a big case to yourself."

Tim was confused. He wasn't arguing with the fact that he'd gotten better or with his being given a solo act, but the was Bruce was talking, it sounded as though he was going to have Tim do something that they would normally do together. That wasn't how Batman thought. He knew that lives were at stake every time the two of them put on their masks. "What do you mean?"

"I've been getting reports of rampant crime in a city on the west coast," Bruce said, "the police force is being pounded into the dirt, criminals are stealing and killing without a moment's thought. Jump City needs a lot of help right now. But I can't go there because I have to be in Gotham. That's why I'm sending you there."

Tim Drake was shocked. He had always enjoyed being Robin, but had also hated being under Batman's wing. Now he was being allowed to fly out into the world, where adventures, opportunities, dangers, and enemies lay in wait. For a brief moment he doubted himself, wondered if he was ready to leave the Bat Cave. But then the moment passed, and he knew. He knew it was finally time.

Bruce Wayne, daytime billionaire and night-time vigilante, smiled as he looked into his ward's eyes, which now glowed with anticipation. Then the grin came to Tim Drake's face, and both knew no words were needed. Bruce walked up to Tim's side and put an arm around the teen's shoulders. "Come on," he said, "Alfred and I have been working on some new equipment for you. I think you'll find it'll come in handy."

-...Azarath...-

January 24, 1997, minutes after Raven's discussion with Dove...

Hawk floated down the shelves of the seemingly infinitely long library. In theory, the library contained every work every written by every race. However, it might take a day's walk to get past the rows of books that had reverence only to the dwellers of Azarath. Besides, if one of them desired a specific book, they needn't patrol the shelves, but simply will it to appear.

But Hawk was simply bored, as he usually was. So he looked about the expansive library in search of something that would provide interesting reading material. Eventually, one book caught his eye. He pulled the book from its shelf (the eighty-sixth from the ground) and examined its cover. No words or symbols were written upon it, but it was decorated with illustrations of various types of birds.

Hawk opened the book. The book contained information on all the different types of birds that did, had ever, and ever would exist. The book was relatively thin, but it contained millions of pages of information. As Hawk turned the pages, text and diagrams flashed into existence on the paper. He had read this book many times before. He had read about phoenixes, archaeopteryxes, and some beings whose names could not be written in English for lack of a human's ability to pronounce the syllables. But the bird Hawk was looking up now was one that nearly all humans knew of.

Hawk gazed at the small picture of a bird with black feathers that shone brightly. Its eyes were furious, but intelligent. This was the first time Hawk had read information about a raven. He had read about crows, thought to be wise and intelligent behind their disgusting habits. He had read of doves, the calm symbols of peace, as well as the predatory hawks. But what Hawk read somewhat disturbed Hawk.

"Ravens," he murmured to himself, "inspired the English word 'ravenous', due to their nature to ingest things many other beings would find repulsive." His eyes widened, and he put his right hand to his chin in thought, "Massive this mean-"

He was suddenly startled as he heard Raven shout at him from the ground far below. He snapped the book shut and replaced it. Then he dropped to the ground beside the young girl. Raven had changed somewhat since her arrival at Azarath. Her skin, grey from her demon half, now seemed more prominent. She had also donned a robe like the others of Azarath did. It was a plain blue color. The hood was drawn back so that her face and purple hair were unhidden, unlike Crow and Hawk. The pinkish jewel in the center of her forehead shone brightly. The jewel would never grow into a horn like many demons possessed, but it still displayed that she was different from any human. Below the jewel were her bright violet eyes, which gleamed with life.

"What do you want?" Hawk asked emotionlessly.

"Well, I really want to be able to control my powers," Raven said as she averted her eyes from Hawk's unblinking stare. "It's just that I don't ever make much process when Crow tries to teach me. Dove said you really helped him out, so-"

"You want me to help you?" Hawk finished her sentence.

Raven gulped and nodded, her eyes cast to the floor. Hawk was somewhat confused with how to handle this. He had never had to encourage someone or give them positive reinforcement. That had always been Crow's strong point. "I'll help you however I can, then," he finally said.

At this, he saw Raven's eyes flash as her head snapped up. "What should I do?"

Hawk almost smiled. Dove had had a smile glued to his face since he and Hawk had met, but that had always annoyed him somewhat. Now a young child whose emotions could alter at the drop of a dime was standing before him with her face glowing. "What should I do?"

Hawk hunched down on one knee, his head just a bit below Raven's, and put one hand to her forehead. "Just relax," he blinked, and his eyes glowed with a bright light as he entered Raven's mind for the second time.

-...Raven's mind...-

Hawk found himself in the same void as before, only this time he saw objects drifting about. There were huge rocks drifting aimlessly about the area, and on them he could see what he recognized as emotions. The mental images of Raven in different colored robes paced about their boulders as they drifted through the void, and Hawk instantly knew what was wrong.

Raven's emotions were all unhindered, but they were not connected to each other. This explained Raven's inability to control her powers when she was unable to control her emotions: the focus on one feeling could not be balanced by the rest, and chaos erupted. Eventually a rock that Hawk had been expecting to find drifted just in front of him. He willed himself toward it and landed in front of a magenta-robed emotion with four glowing red eyes. "Hello, Trigon. Nice seeing you again."

Trigon snarled, "Come here to interfere again? Don't bother trying. There's no way you can stop my attempts this time, even if you beat me to a pulp."

"So you became Raven's anger, eh?" said Hawk, ignoring Trigon's statement, "Pretty clever of you. You managed to tinker with Raven's mind without my noticing, severing the balance of her mind so that when she loses all control over her emotions, you take over her mind. It also limits her ability to use her powers because they are also fueled by her emotions. Too bad I eventually came in to check on things."

Trigon smirked, "Not like you can do anything about it."

"I wouldn't count on that," Hawk's eyes glowed again, and darkness swept through the void.

"What are you doing?" Trigon asked in a somewhat panicked voice.

"Something you apparently hadn't thought of," Hawk said calmly, "I'm repairing the connections between Raven's emotions. Honestly, give me some credit." Rocks were now combining to form a landscape wider than New York City, and the emotions were suddenly thrust into portals that were erected from nowhere. "Now her emotions are protected from your influence, you have no control over the girl whatsoever."

But Trigon grinned, "You may have delayed my plans, but you have not prevented their outcome! It may take years, but eventually she will experience an emotional outburst so powerful it will take no effort on my part whatsoever to take control. You can try all you like, boy, but you cannot stop me."

And though it made Hawk want to tear Trigon limb from limb, he knew it was true.

-...Azarath's library...-

Hawk took his hand away from Raven's forehead, and her eyes immediately snapped open. As they did, she unconsciously thrust a hand out, and two-dozen books suddenly flew from their shelves. Before they collided with anything, however, Raven mentally halted them and set them down. She stood up with a smile on her face. "Wow..." And then her smile turned into a grin as she attempted something she had wanted to do her whole life. She took a deep breath and willed herself to rise into the air. A small laugh of glee escaped her lips as she rose more rapidly, rising into the air with her robe flowing behind her. After a quick thanks to Hawk, she barreled out the door into the main building of Azarath, soaring past Crow and calling to Dove to fly with her.

Crow smiled as he saw Dove join Raven, then stepped into the library to meet Hawk coming out. Hawk half-heard him say several things about how wonderful this was, but walked by wordlessly. He alone knew the truth. If Raven ever lost complete control, nothing would be able to save her. He hoped that day would never come.

-...Wilson's base...-

October 12, 2004, two hours after Victor Stone's arrival...

Wilson watched the scientists slowly peel away useless flesh and muscle and pick fragmented bones from Experiment C's body. They had already succeeded in replacing his left arm with its mechanical replacement. Miraculously, he had not lost much blood in the attack, and the scientists had been able to construct artificial blood vessels where the true ones had been nearly ruined. His nervous system had been interfaced with the cybernetic nerve paths flawlessly. It was precisely what Wilson wanted: the perfect blend of man and machine.

It would take days of uninterrupted work for the scientists, teamed with several of the world's best surgeons and mechanical engineers, to complete the complex operation. Even then, Experiment C would only match a human's abilities. In order to complete the procedure and gain the power Wilson so desperately wanted, he would have to wait perhaps a month.

Wilson turned and exited the room quietly. He decided to check up on the progress made with Experiment F. He strode into a room nearby in which a man was observing the images broadcast by the security cameras. His attention was focused on one screen in particular. It depicted a teenage boy slumped against the wall of a high-security cell. There was a source of light that emanated a green glow from the ceiling of this cell, which seemed to be causing the boy to be weak.

"How has the subject progressed?" asked Wilson.

"Precisely as planned, Mr. Wilson," answered the guard, "he awakened maybe an hour ago, but he's hardly budged since. That radiation must be pretty powerful."

"It is necessary," said Wilson, and for the first time since he had begun his stay at the base, he directly lied, "the radiation will heal him of his disease. His family did not consent because of the nature in which we must keep him. The radiation may cause him to act violently later on." What Wilson didn't say was that the radiation would have killed anyone without the "disease" he spoke of. The blood disease the teen had was not harmful in any way, but the guard didn't know that and he didn't need to. In several weeks, when the radiation had affected Experiment F to the extent that the final procedure could begin, the guard would no longer be on duty at the base anyway. He would be replaced by a high-tech robot, and robots didn't question commands of such petty things as morality.

-...Near Earth's moon...-

November 3, 2004...

Starfire gazed across the grey moon's vast craters from a distance high above before sighing and shaking her head. There did not seem to be any life here either. For over a week she had been searching for a planet to stay on, and had been unsuccessful. She was beginning to lose hope. Head hung low, she drifted aimlessly forward, hope nearly forgotten.

That was when she nearly collided with the satellite. She was intrigued by the strangely shaped contraption and began circling it to discern if it were some strange life form or just an oddly shaped rock. Eventually she realized there was writing on it and concluded it had been made by some creature.

Looking about her for the creature that had made the craft, she eventually saw what she had ignored before. The great expanse of Earth filled her eyes, and she knew this was where she would stay. She was mesmerized by the planet's bright white clouds and deep blue oceans. She also believed that the people who had created the satellite must be peaceful, for it had made no attempt to attack her. With new resolve, she soared down through the planet's atmosphere, straight for the west coast of North America...

-...Wilson's base...-

November 5, 2004...

It was time. Experiment C, still unconscious even after these many days, was strapped to a table to Wilson's left. To his right, Experiment F was strapped to another table, barely conscious.

"So, at last all is ready, then?" Wilson asked the senior of the group of scientists.

"Indeed. Experiment C possesses super-human strength, digital knowledge of every weapon ever built and hundreds of strategies as well as computer-programming abilities unmatchable by anyone. We are prepared to install his weapons on your word. Experiment F's DNA has been altered sufficiently by the radiation and shall react to the new DNA as planned."

"I have waited a long time for this," said Wilson as he looked towards the room's only exit. The heavily armored walls could withstand nearly any force, but Wilson felt the door was the strongest against attack. Four of his robotic soldiers stood ready before it, and four more were guarding the other side. The base was now sprawling with cold, unquestioning androids prepared to do his every bidding.

"Begin the final procedures."

With that, the scientist opened a case in front of him and pulled out a needle filled with a lime-green chemical. Several more began attaching the sonic cannon to Experiment C's right elbow. The scientist quickly injected the chemical into Experiment F's arm and quickly scurried backwards.

A horrible moaning howl blasted from the teen's mouth as his body reacted with the chemical, which contained a mixture of DNA from every species ever recorded to have lived on the planet. The experiment's physical form was changing rapidly, his teeth sharpening, his ears becoming pointed at the tips, and his skin changing a strange green He twisted and turned in pain for perhaps an hour before finally falling silent.

Meanwhile, Experiment C's arm had been attached, along with additional weaponry. The operations were over. Now Wilson had the power he had desired for so long.

So, there you have it. Robin and Starfire didn't seem real important to me this chapter, so I just threw in a couple paragraphs. Hope you enjoyed.


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